The ranch hand's son
by GRYFFINDOR'S DISCIPLINE
Summary: A story about love at first sight between a ranch owner's daughter and the ranch hand's son


The ranch hand's son  
By: Wild Horses  
  
  
Kate Firethorn lived on the Lazy V ranch, a hard working stock ranch. She had a sister and brother, named Nicole and Matt. Her mother and father's names were Bridget and Jason. She and a cat named Shadow, or Tao and a horse named Thunderbolt. Her sister also had a cat named Piccolo and a horse named 6Pence. Her brother had a lizard named Cha Cha and a horse named Locos. Dad had the dog; Max and the horse Gala, and mom had the dog, Nikki and the horse named Tike. On the main compound Kate had a somewhat small house made of stone because she was 18 and at 16 you get your own house. Her sister also had a small wooden house to live in, although she had just turned 16 and was still moving into the house.  
She was in her house on the compound when she heard the "family meeting" bell. Going to the main loge to see what was up she found her parents and siblings already there. Sitting down to wait for the other three to arrive, the family dogs Max and Nikki and the ranch foreman Chuck, she said hello to the family. As soon as the rest of the members was there Kate's dad stood up to make an announcement. "To say this news in a nutshell, we have two good, but new workers on our hands." At this news everyone applauded and the dogs barked with joy, two of the other hands had just retired, they were of course in their seventies. "Kate, I'm trusting you to watch for them, show them around the compound, or as they say show them the ropes!" her sister, whispering in Kate's ear, said, " Who says that?" Matt, her 13-year-old brother protested saying, " Why does she get to do it?" Chuck, hiding a grin, replied "because she and her friend, Rachel, filled in the jobs of Joe and Mark when they retired, you sat in your room and read comic books and played videogames." Dad adding," Besides she's eighteen and I believe that she can handle it. Kate, they're coming today around three, I know that's when you write but I need your help, I'm going out to repair the fence that the anguses stampeded through." looking at her watch Kate found it to be 2:00 already. Promising to do it, and saying that Matt could help show the new guys around the stable, she went back to her house.  
At three-o'clock she moved her lap top computer to the front porch to watch for the men and to work on her story. Kate wrote for the Romance Lovers Weekly. A locally based magazine that published people who loved to write or tell short stories, but didn't want to write books. She got so engrossed into her story, and her inspiration music that she didn't notice when the yard emptied. And she didn't notice when an old beat-up black pick-up drove into the yard, she hardly heard the doors slam or the crunch of gravel under boots when the two walked up. "Um, excuse me, miss?" said the older man. "Oh," Kate said, "I'm sorry I didn't notice you. I'm Kate Firethorn. You must be the new workers." The younger one replied, " Yes, I'm John and this is my dad, Bill." John was very attractive and cute; he was about five foot ten and had deep blonde hair and green eyes. Bill was tall, dark, and handsome, the kind of person the women in her stories would fall in love with.  
She showed them around alone because Matt wasn't in his room like he promised he would be. "This is Thunderbolt, John she's yours, and this is Margarita, Bill he's yours. Thunderbolt's a good gal, she was mine until about a year ago, and Margarita is one heck of a steady, sure-footed horse." John's brow was furrowed, "how come you don't own her any more?" he asked Kate. Replying Kate told him " because last summer I rescued a mustang mare from the wild herd that was caught in a hidden hole filled with brambles. Now I'm the only one DewDrop will let train or ride her." Bill asked if he could see DewDrop. "I'm sorry she's in the Q paddock, it would take to long to walk out there, since it's almost dinner time, and she's terrified of cars. But if you really want to see her I can drive you out on the tractor?" john, awnsering for his father said "yes I want to see her I bet if I got on her she would let me ride her." "You wanna bet," retorted Kate?  
"Yes, I do," said john.  
Telling her ma so she wouldn't worry, Kate grabbed the keys from the pile of keys on the counter she left the house. Running to the tractor she started the engine and rode out of the compound with John and Bill on the built in extra seats on it. It took about twenty minuets to get to the Q paddock. In it stood about thirty head of horses but only one was trying to get a bay chestnut gelding to play. She was a pearly gray-white in color with tons of silver dapples that looked like dew on her back.  
"Let me guess, she's DewDrop?" asked John "yep" said Kate. "Well let's go get her," said Bill heading for the gate. "Wait!" called Kate. She put two fingers to her lips and blew an ear-piercing whistle. The gray's head came up and she whinnied back, Kate whistled a softer whistle and the mare came to the gate. Kate took the lead line she had and took her into the M paddock.  
"Well John, try to ride her," said Kate. He went into the paddock and mounted her she was fine for a while. John stuck his tongue out at her. "That in't riding try to get her to move" Kate called with a smile. The minuet he touched her with his heels DewDrop started bucking, kicking and wheeling everywhere. Kate counted the seconds that John stayed on...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, ...Tossed. "Good time, john!" called Bill. Kate stared for a second, then coming to her senses she saw DewDrop still jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean and called, "yo, Dew cut it!" Immediately she stopped and came over to Kate. "How did you do that?" she asked John, who was dusting himself off "I mean how did you stay on her so long, Dew here usually dumps the stupid ones in 5 seconds flat?" "John here was a rodeo rider, junior until he twas 16 then joined me in the big time," answered Bill.  
"Well, anyway, this," replied Kate mounting DewDrop," is riding." John and Bill went to the outside of the paddock and shut the gate. Touching her heels to a spot in Dew's sides she sent DewDrop walking. Then trotting then a good canter. Around and around the ring they went then stopping in the middle of the paddock. With a grin Kate gave a silent command and DewDrop reared up and took a few steps then did some  
Cross-steps then reared up again and wheeled a tiny ways and walked up to the gate. Then delicately taking the pin out of the gate she walked out and up to the boys. "Here's the keys to the tractor you better drive it back I'll wait here for you." Kate told the men. "Why?" asked John. "Because DewDrop has to come in to the barn anyway, so I minas well bring her in for the boys. Um, John if you want you can bring in Gala for my dad I'm gonna lead 6Pence so if you do you'll lead Locos and I'm tying Tike to the tractor, that way we save time for the rest of the hands." Replied Kate.  
By the time they got the horses bedded down for the night they were late for dinner. Kate's dad asked where they were. Kate told them about how they wanted to see DewDrop and how Dew took john for a ride and then about how well she had rode Dew without a saddle. Her dad was proud at how she rode. Matt complained about how Kate didn't come get him because she wanted to be alone with John and Bill because she thought John was cute. He got elbowed for saying it. John laughed at that.  
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6 months later...  
Kate and John were closer than ever. They spent time alone in the barn talking. They started holding hands and acting like a couple. Kate and john went on long rides too. She helped him train Thunderbolt to rear on command and cross-step. Both Kate's parents and John's dad noticed the change in their children; they sat down one night to talk about it.  
"I noticed that about two months after we came here, when John was 16 his mamma died. After that for two years he went real quiet, he never talked or any thing. Now he's a true chatter box, always talking to me about things, never mind when." Said Bill. "Its true Kate never complains about doing the wash, or dusting, or any other menial tasks anymore," complimented Bridget, Kate's mom. " Well anyway let them be it's good for them, Kate never gets any dates anymore since she's out of school," said her dad.   
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Years went by and Kate and John got closer and closer...  
Kate was now twenty and John twenty-one. It was a late August night chilly and damp with fall just around the corner when it happened. They were out in the barn repairing old tack when John caught Kate off guard.   
Leaning over he planted his lips directly on hers. Kate wanted to resist but she couldn't seem to move. Her insides were melting and she had a sudden urge to kiss him right back... they never made it back to their houses that night.  
A few more years went by with Kate and John a real couple.  
One night, the same night when they first kissed, John took Kate up to the hayloft of the barn. The loading door on the top was open and they had a perfect view of the meteor shower. Speaking softly john said the first commitment of his life, " Kate, since the first time I saw you I knew you were the one. As days and months and years passed I knew even more," taking out a Montana sapphire mounted on a gold band John slid it on her finger, " Kate Firethorn, will you marry me?" ... " Yes, I love you John," Kate told him in a whisper he could barely hear.  
The wedding was small, only family and close friends attended. Kate was dressed in a beautiful gown garnished with the same kind Montana sapphires that were in her ring   
After the vows both said the faithful "I Do," and kissed. The reception was beautiful their song, "I Do Cherish You" by 98(, was played.  
  



End file.
